Terrestrial Network News

Inmarsat ORCHESTRA, the future network for global mobility and government communications, achieved its first milestone in space today with the successful activation of a low earth orbit (Inmarsat ORCHESTRA) satellite payload.The LEO satellite is testing new concepts and system configurations for ORCHESTRA’s proposed LEO constellation, which will seamlessly integrate with geosynchronous orbit (GEO) and highly elliptical orbit (HEO) satellites, and a terrestrial 5G network, to deliver…

Gregory Darling and Applied Satellite Technology (AST) works with shipowners to help them use their bandwidth more efficiently for ship business and crew needs.When Gregory Darling, Group MD, AST, worked in the marine industry in the 1980s with a marine survey company, he needed to get word to one of his ships off of West Africa to recalibrate its course and head off to a new job. But the ship had left port, and radio calls to the ship went unanswered, resulting in two days of lost time and revenue.“That was frustrating and costly…

Satellite connectivity solutions provider COMSAT said it is extending the life of Inmarsat’s existing satellites through the leasing of an additional antenna at COMSAT’s Santa Paula, Calif. Teleport. The newly leased 12.8m antenna is transmitting and receiving in both C-band and L-band frequencies, bolstering capacity for the Tracking, Telemetry and Command (TT&C) and traffic operations of the Inmarsat satellite network. The Santa Paula teleport hosts Inmarsat’s Standard C equipment…

Inmarsat Maritime President Ronald Spithout says providing crews with enhanced levels of connectivity and support is critical at this unprecedented time, and offers an insight into the work already underway with welfare organizations to assist seafarers in need.Given Inmarsat’s position as the leading provider of maritime VSAT and L-Band services at sea, it is hardly surprising that we have been alert to the direct connection between coronavirus and surging demand for crew voice call and data services.

Marlink is a long-standing Intelsat S.A. customer, with services on multiple Intelsat satellites and the IntelsatOne terrestrial network, has signed an agreement for high-throughput connectivity from Intelsat’s Horizons 3e satellite. Horizons 3e, a joint venture satellite owned by Intelsat and SKY Perfect JSAT Corporation, will be stationed at 169o East to deliver connectivity in the Asia-Pacific region. The satellite is scheduled for launch in the second half of 2018, and when combined with the already contracted high-throughput broadband services provided by Intelsat 29e, Intelsat 33e and Intelsat 35e, Marlink will offer Intelsat EpicNG performance to its maritime customers traversing the world’s busiest shipping routes.

Intelsat S.A. has been selected by Marlink to deliver fast, high quality Intelsat EpicNG broadband connectivity to Mediterranean Shipping Company’s (MSC) cruise ships. At the end of May, MSC Cruises began to apply EpicNG’s high throughput connectivity aboard the MSC Divina, one of the world’s largest cruise ships. Utilizing Intelsat’s Globalized Network, Marlink will provide broadband connectivity to all of MSC Cruises’ 12 existing ships, ensuring the company’s entire fleet will be covered globally.

New Agreement Brings Market Leading Broadband and Mobility Solutions to the Maritime, Oil & Gas and Enterprise Sectors. Intelsat S.A. (NYSE: I) has established strategic agreement to provide access to its global C- and Ku-band broadband mobility network to SpeedCast, the leading global satellite communications and maritime service provider. Under the multi-year agreement, Intelsat will provide SpeedCast access to Intelsat’s global C-band and Ku-band satellite capacity as well as to its terrestrially managed network, IntelsatOneSM.

MTN Communications (MTN) announced Fred.Olsen Cruise Lines has extended its four-year relationship with the company. Fred.Olsen chose to increase the breadth of communications, content services and support MTN provides. The MTN partnership includes an enhanced onboard suite of connectivity options for passengers and crew. MTN will continue to provide crew calling and its Worldwide TV service (MTN TV). Known for exclusive service catering to European travelers, Fred.Olsen itineraries include the Caribbean, Mediterranean and Baltic regions; Norway; the British Isles and Africa.

Intelsat S.A., a provider of satellite services, has provided an update on its satellite capacity and other critical connectivities being used in a number of restoration initiatives in the Philippines following Typhoon Haiyan. Immediately after the disaster occurred, Intelsat began working with customers and partners to ensure that the necessary infrastructure and satellite capacity were in place to accelerate the restoration of vital communications for relief workers and businesses in the Philippines.

Intelsat S.A. said it signed a multi-year agreement with Digital Networks to provide capacity via its satellite fleet and IntelsatOne terrestrial network, enabling Digital Networks to more effectively support very small aperture terminal (VSAT) communications networks in North America. Digital Networks will leverage Intelsat's teleport services and capacity on the Galaxy 3C satellite to expand its network in the United States and Canada. "This agreement will enable Digital Networks to quadruple its available throughput for delivering integrated voice, data and real-time applications for our energy customers," said Digital Networks CEO Curtis Blankenship.

Intelsat S.A. entered an agreement with SoftBank Mobile Corp. for the provision of managed network services in Japan. SoftBank Mobile signed a multi-year, multi-transponder agreement using capacity on Intelsat 8 at 169º East and the fully managed IntelsatOne terrestrial network. SoftBank Mobile will use Intelsat's solutions to complete infrastructure for cellular and data backhaul services to its customers throughout the southern islands of Japan. Additionally, Intelsat will provide local licensing support to SoftBank Mobile for VSAT terminals, certain equipment and customized operations. "Among the options available for cellular backhaul networks in the region…

MTN Satellite Communications launched MTN Nexus, a next-generation comms network billed as a hybrid that integrates it with new terrestrial wireless technologies as well as sophisticated computing, powerful processing and specialized optimization. Targeting the high volume cruise sector, MR thought an apt time to sit down with CEO Errol Olivier to discuss Nexus and its relevance to communications at sea. We understand you are a maritime satcom industry veteran. Can you give our readers a briefing on your background serving this market?

Global IP to introduce Ku-band maritime services to oil, gas and energy customers across the vast Indian Ocean region. Intelsat S.A., a  provider of satellite services, announced today that Spain-based Global IP, a provider of satellite communications for maritime, energy and corporate customers, has signed multi-year agreements allowing it to provide broadband service to its maritime customers in the Indian Ocean region. Global IP will use capacity on Intelsat 22 at 72° East, Intelsat 702 at 33° East, and the IntelsatOneSM terrestrial network to introduce advanced mobility services. Global IP will collocate its DVB-S2 high-throughput platform at Intelsat's teleport in Fuchsstadt, Germany, enabling access to the IntelsatOne infrastructure and Intelsat's satellite fleet.

Intelsat S.A  has introduced the Intelsat EpicNG satellite platform, a new series of satellites based upon a high performance, open architecture design. Intelsat EpicNG will be deployed for wireless and fixed telecommunications, enterprise, mobility, video and government applications requiring broadband infrastructure across the major continents. The Intelsat EpicNG platform is an innovative approach to satellite and network architecture utilizing multiple frequency bands, wide beams, spot beams and frequency reuse technology. A complementary overlay, Intelsat EpicNG will be fully integrated with Intelsat's existing satellite fleet and global IntelsatONESM terrestrial network.

Abu Dhabi – Thuraya has launched a dual mode hand-held phone featuring both GSM and satellite capabilities. The introduction of this phone, branded XT-DUAL, makes Thuraya the only satellite operator to offer seamless communications, as the phone provides consumers the flexibility and freedom to switch between GSM and satellite modes wherever they may be located. The XT-DUAL operates as a standard GSM phone within the reach of terrestrial networks; and, when out of terrestrial network reach, operates as a satellite phone supported by Thuraya’s powerful network.

Intelsat, Ltd., provider of fixed satellite services, announced the signing of a multi-year distribution agreement with Corporate Satellite Communications (CSC/DVS) for Intelsat’s Network Broadband Global Maritime service. CSC/DVS’s customers will benefit from the Intelsat Network Broadband Global Maritime service’s always-on broadband connection and automatic beam switching technology, offered for a flat monthly fee. Intelsat's Network Broadband Global Maritime service, part of Intelsat’s GlobalConnex (GXS) portfolio of services, utilizes C-band capacity provided via three ocean-region satellites: Intelsat 602 at 178ºE, Intelsat 707 at 307ºE and Intelsat 906 at 64ºE.

Logica, the global solutions company, announced it has secured a GBP 6m contract to help develop future higher bandwidth satellite communications for global mobile satellite communications provider, Inmarsat Limited. This contract forms part of an over GBP 30 million programme with Thrane & Thrane, a leader in the market for satellite communications equipment, to build the satellite interface and other equipment that will allow Inmarsat's Broadband Global Area Network (B-GAN) services due for launch during 2004 to be transmitted to and from terrestrial networks. Currently Inmarsat operates its Global Area Network (GAN) service which supports data speeds of up to 64 kbit/s, almost seven times faster than speeds offered by current GSM networks.